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Topic: I am so troubled (Read 2164 times)

I have been suffering from severe anxiety and moderate depression for almost 3 months. This is the second major episode I've had in the last two years. It truly makes life miserable for me and I do the best I can to not show how bad it is to my family. I take prescribed medications for the conditions but I'm not comfortable in doing so, fearing dependency but most of the time that is the only way I am able to function on a minimul level. I'm a Christian and need and want to the leader of my family but at times like this I find that impossible. I have prayed to my Father so many times for relief and His intervention that I sound like a broken record. I've considered therapy but since I live in a rural area I would have to travel many miles to do so. I'm asking for your prayers that the source of my worries will resolve and that God will soon lead me out of this dark wilderness I find myself in.

May God protect you and grant you His Peace, Peace not of this world, but Peace as only He can give, the only true and lasting Peace there is that endures through all despair and confusion.

It seems to me that one of the most important things you can and must do is to seek out those you can share your burden with. Don't forget, no man is an island, and in your case, this is especially true. We are all members one of another, we are social creatures, and we need others to balance us lest we steer off course. Talk to a trusted priest/pastor or even better, a few, to get different perspectives. Try your best to connect with others who share a condtiion like your's (a support group). You will see that you are not alone. I am sure that even knowing this can help. Be merciful to yourself, and struggle to accept yourself in love as one of God's suffering people.

I would like to point out that depression and othe mental conditions can be caused by chemical imbalances and meds can help correct that. Would you suggest to a person with diabetes or a heart condition that they not take medications? Yes, the love of God and family can do a lot, but that doesn't mean that they don't sometimes need medications. Would a person with other physical medical conditions be told that the love of family and God is enough to heal them?

Believe me that I am failing the same too. Believe me that everybody is failing the same. You just have the guts to face your failure.

Sure, you may be sick and you are thinking that I am not. Then why am I also find impossible to be the leader of my family ?

You are trying to hide youself from your family because you do not like the image of yourself and you want to protect them from you. Please my brother, let them live your life. You may find that it is not a hideous life. You have inside your heart something valuable that is not yours to decide not to share with others. Something beautiful and unique that belongs to your family: "Ralph the person".

May be you are trapped in a cirle. You need to be better and you are not. You need to be cured and you are not. You keep asking from God to ease your pain (like a broken record). He does not respond (yet). Now you are asking from us to pray for you. I am sincerely asking you to pray for us to lead us out of this dark wilderness we found ourselves in. No brother I am not joking. We all share the same dark wilderness.

There are lights that could light our way. Today I have found one. It is called Ralph. He may not know it but he is a light in my darkeness. Please Ralph do not forget me when you are in despair.

Of cource you can always take your medicine, but you are not looking just for your health. Believe me I would not either look for my health if I could not share it with others. I would be just a healthy failure.

Ralph, I also, and everyone else for that matter need to share our lives with our familys and friends regardless of our success or failure.

If God is fine with my incompetence and is accepting my illness then why my family and friends should not be suitable for them ?

Dear brother Ralph, please pray for me with the same fervency that you are praying for yourself.

Prayers indeed.Medications have made a great advance in the field of psychology and dependency is not anymore a problem.In addition, I recommend you to share the load with others. Therapy can help, but your family are important in this circumstances.

I pray that God may give you peace soon.

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In that day there will be an altar to the LORD in the heart of Egypt, and a monument to the LORD at its border. (Isaiah 19:19)

" God forbid I should see the face of Judah or listen to his blasphemy" (Gerontius, Archmanidrite of the monastery of St. Melania)